Electronic locks are commercially available having a capability of communicating via using a standardized short range wireless radio frequency (r.f.) communication protocol, such as for example, the Zigbee and Z-Wave wireless communications protocols. Lock and systems developers often customize their respective commercial offerings to include customer specific communication hardware and methods that utilize variations of standard protocols. As such, each electronic lock hardware unit has to be customized to support a particular customer's system communications configuration of a plurality of potential customer configurations. Thus, a manufacturer of electronic locks must have on-hand separate electronic lock hardware units, i.e., stock keeping units (SKUs), which satisfy the communications requirements of each of its customers, thus adding cost and complexity in the entire supply chain in addition to potentially adding confusion in the distribution channel for the distributors and dealers who deal with these variations.
What is needed in the art is an electronic lock having software based multi-wireless profile detection and setting, wherein an electronic lock is self-configurable to automatically set a wireless communication protocol profile, or configuration, to allow the electronic lock to communicatively join the system in which the electronic lock is to be incorporated.
According to one aspect, the invention provides an electronic lock with a latch assembly having a bolt movable between an extended position and a retracted position and a circuit configured to control the bolt. A wireless module is provided to wirelessly communicate with other electronic communication devices in range of the lock. A non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided that has a plurality of wireless protocol profiles and a computer program code stored thereon. The lock includes a processor in communication with the computer-readable memory configured to carry out instructions in accordance with the computer program code. In one embodiment, the processor is programmed to determine whether a default wireless protocol profile has been established. If not, the processor executes in sequence the plurality of wireless protocol profiles stored in the computer-readable medium until a wireless protocol profile establishes wireless communications with another wireless communication device. Once this happens, the wireless protocol profile that was able to establish wireless communications is set as the default wireless protocol profile. In some cases, the processor determines whether the default wireless protocol profile has been established during power-up of the electronic lock, such as by checking if a profile flag has been set. In some embodiments, the electronic lock includes an interface configured to store one or more additional wireless protocol profiles to the computer-readable memory. This could be done through either a wired or wireless connection with the lock.
According to another aspect, the invention provides an electronic lock with a latch assembly including a bolt movable between an extended position and a retracted position. A circuit is provided that includes a processor unit, a memory unit, and a wireless module. The circuit is configured to control movement of the bolt between the extended and retracted positions. The circuit also automatically determines an appropriate wireless protocol by sequentially executing a plurality of wireless protocol profiles stored in the memory unit until the circuit establishes wireless communications with another wireless communication device. Typically, the circuit sets the wireless protocol profile that was able to establish wireless communications as a default wireless protocol profile. Upon power up, the processor will then automatically load the default wireless protocol profile.
According to a further aspect, the invention provides an electronic lock with a latch assembly including a bolt movable between an extended position and a retracted position. The lock includes means for electronically controlling the latch assembly. Additionally, means are provided for automatically determining an appropriate wireless protocol for the electronic lock by sequentially executing a plurality of wireless protocol profiles until wireless communications is established with another wireless communication device.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrated embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate an embodiment of the invention, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.